Nikhil Chaudhary could become the first Indian-born man to represent Australia since 1964

Delhi-born all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary is set to become the first Indian-born man to represent Australia in international cricket since 1964 after being named in the country’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh.

The 30-year-old earned his first call-up after Australia drafted him into the squad as a replacement for Travis Head, who was given personal leave. While Chaudhary is yet to play international cricket, his performances for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League and Tasmania in domestic cricket have moved him into national selection calculations.

WHO IS NIKHIL CHAUDHARY?

Born and brought up in Delhi, Chaudhary started his career in India representing Punjab in domestic cricket. He featured in 14 white-ball matches for the state side, sharing the dressing room with the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. He also had a trial stint with the Mumbai Indians before his career took a different direction.

His move to Australia came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chaudhary traveled to Queensland to visit his uncle, but international travel restrictions extended his stay and opened up an opportunity to pursue cricket in Australia. Over the next few years he worked his way through the domestic ranks and established himself as a regular performer for Tasmania and the Hobart Hurricanes.

Chaudhary played a role in the Hobart Hurricanes BBL winning campaign and enjoyed his most productive season with the bat last summer. He scored 307 runs at an average of 30.70 and a strike rate of 153. While his bowling opportunities decreased with the arrival of wrist spinners Rehan Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, he continued to contribute as a bowling all-rounder.

His rise was not limited to the T20 format. Chaudhary earned his first state contract for Tasmania after an impressive Sheffield Shield debut season, highlighted by a century against New South Wales and a five-wicket haul against Queensland.

Interestingly, despite growing up on playgrounds in India, Chaudhary is enjoying more success against speed bowling in Australia. During the last season of the BBL, he hit 180 against seamers, well above his career total against pace, while his returns against spin were quite modest.

Although he has not yet acquired Australian citizenship, Chaudhary is a permanent resident and meets the International Cricket Council’s requirements to represent Australia.

Australian selector Tony Dodemaide said Chaudhary had been under consideration for some time.

“Nikhil has been a player of national interest for some time now. He was a back-up player on this tour, joined the squad for the pre-season camps in Brisbane and comes in as a replacement for Travis Head,” Dodemaide said.

“The panel were impressed with his BBL form, especially last season, which led to his addition to the squad. He was also part of the Delhi Capitals set-up in this year’s IPL.

“Nikhil will gain invaluable experience in Bangladesh and will be in contention for his first match for Australia when we sit down to select the team for the opening T20 match next week.”

If selected in the playing XI, Chaudhary will become the first Indian-born man to play international cricket for Australia in more than six decades, adding another chapter to a journey that began in Delhi and took him to the brink of a debut for the reigning world champions.

Australia will take on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series in Chattogram, with the games scheduled for June 17, 19 and 21.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

June 11, 2026 11:39 AM IST